Many textile fabrics are treated after they have been woven or knitted to provide suitable surface effects whether by napping or abrading. In some applications, the yarns are raised above the base of the fabric to form a pile surface or the fibers of the yarns may be ruptured depending upon the nature of the yarns whether made of staple or continuous filaments as in the case of multifilament synthetic yarns. In the use of an abrading surface, whether sandpaper or wire clothing or a knurled surface, such surfaces become worn after extended use depending upon the abrasion characteristics of the fabrics being finished.
Some denim fabrics that are relatively coarse have been abraded using rollers covered by sandpaper and frequent replacement of the sandpaper covering the supporting drum or roll has been necessary. When synthetic fibers including nylon or polyester have been employed, as opposed to all cotton fibers, increased abrasion and wear is encountered necessitating more frequent maintenance and replacement of the abrading surface material.
It is an objective of this invention to provide an apparatus for abrading fabric traveling along a directed path of travel in which at least one roller assembly is provided having a series of fabric contacting surfaces to abrade the traveling fabric.
Another objective of this invention is to provide an apparatus for abrading traveling fabric to impart desired finishing characteristics to at least one of the surfaces thereof in which the abrading apparatus has a plurality of incrementally changeable surfaces to be exposed when one or more surfaces have become worn.
Yet another objective of this invention is to provide a fabric abrading machine having a plurality of fabric abrading rolls which are spaced from each other along the path of fabric travel in which each roll is provided with a plurality of independent fabric engaging abrading surfaces which surfaces may be rotated when worn.
Still another objective of this invention is the provision of an apparatus in the form of a rotating assembly having a series of circumferentially and radially supported and spaced abrading surfaces which may be modified when worn in the path of fabric travel with relative ease and a minimum of labor.
Other objectives and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art of fabric finishing from the following figure description and detailed description of one preferred embodiment of the invention.